Lockable safety pin



A ril 8, 1958 P. R. HAYES LOCKABLE SAFETY PIN Filed March 18, 1955 PAULR. fi/Avss INVENTOR.,

This invention relates to a lockable safety pin and,

more particularly, to improvements in a latch for safety r pins of thetype in which a U-shaped shield has one arm secured to the base bar ofthe pin and the other arm is channeled to receive and retain the pointedpin arm wherein latch means is interposable within the channel to blockremoval or prevent dislodgment pin.

The principal objects of my invention include the provision of alockable safety pin in which the movement of the pointed pin into andout of the shield may be of the pointed accomplished with facility, butin which the pointed pin may be locked simply and easily to effectivelyprevent j accidental dislodgment; to provide a latch for a safety pinwhich is simple and easy to construct to the end that the cost ofmanufacture is kept low and within the ordi} nary requirements ofeconomies, but which is extremely g effective to accomplish latching orlocking of the pointed pin end; and, further, to provide an improvedlatch which 'fpositively locks the pointed pin in the fastened positionbut which may be manually operated with facility by a person havingreasonable finger dexterity, whilepreclud ing, either accidentally orintentionally, unlatching by an infant or one lacking reasonable fingerdexterity.

These and other 'objects of the invention as will be more apparentduring the course of the following specification are accomplishedthrough the provision, in a 1,

conventional safety pin, of a latch arm disposed in the throat of theusual U-shaped shield. The latch is adapted for swinging or pivotalmovement from a non-latching position to a latching position in such amanner that the pointed pin end may be readily disposed in or removedfrom a channeled arm of the U-shaped shield. The. latch device, in thelatching position, effectively precludes and prevents accidental orintentional removal of pointed pin from the channel portion of theU-shaped',

shield.

In the drawings in which is shown a preferred form,

of my invention,

Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved-1 lockable safetypin with the latch means shown in the,

closed position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 22 of Figure 1;and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the latch in lockedposition in relation to the safety pin shieldi The safety pin shown inthe enclosed drawings is conventional in many respects and includes thebase bar 1 and the pointed pin arm 2 joined together by con ventionalhelical spring 12 at common ends of the bar and arm, respectively. AU-shaped shield 3 is provided at the other end of the bar 1 and of arm2. One arm of the U-shaped shield is secured to base bar 1 of the pin bycrimping or other fastening means so that the shield is firmly heldagainst longitudinal movement along the base bar as well as rotativemovement therearound. The opposite arm of the U-shaped shield'Suisinternally channeled and the mouth 10 of the channel is open toward U dPet 2,829,413 Patented Apr 8, 19158 the secured arm of the shield 3 Itisin the channel 13, accessible through mouth 10, that the pointedend ofpin arm 2 is disposed when the safetypinis closed. t

Ajfinger 8 extends from the secured arm of the U- shaped shield, in amedial plane, toward'mouth 10 of the channel arm 13 of the shield.Amongother thing, finger 8 functions as a guide element during theaction of moving the pin arm 2 into place into the shield and alsoduring its removal therefrom. A stop or shoulder 5 is laterally disposedat the base of said finger, being partially formed by the crimping ofthe secured arm around base bar 1. Since the finger 8 is mediallylocated, it is customary and preferable that there be a stop or shoulderlaterally disposed at each side of the base of the finger, as is shownin Figure 2.

A bifurcated latch arm 4 is pivotally secured astraddle finger 8 by apivot pin 9.

The latch arm 4 swings from the nonlatching position A, shown in dottedline in Figure 3, to the perpendicular or upright position indicated insolid lines. In this latter or latching position the head end of latcharm 4 effectively blocks the mouth 10 of channel arm 13 of shield 3,locking the pin arm 2 into the shield against intentional or accidentaldislodgment so long as the latch is disposed upright. The latch arm isan inverted bifurcated member, the legs of which straddle the finger 8,and the head of which is broad enough to choke or substantially fillmouth 10. The free ends of the legs of the latch arm include the curvedsurface 6 and the stop 7..

Stop 7 is so arranged on the latch arm that it precludes movement of thelatch arm beyond the perpendicular latching position as the latch movesfrom the nonlatching position A. This is accomplished by locating stop 7so that it comes into abutting relation with a shoulder 5. While thismay be accomplished on but a single side of the safety pin, it ispreferable that a pair of horns 7 be provided to cooperate with a pairof stop shoulders 5.

It is preferable that the non-latching position of the latch 4 be suchthat it lies generally alongside of the base bar 1 and extendingoutwardly of the open portion of the U-shaped shield 3 or toward spring12. This is 1 desirable primarily to preclude interference with theinsertion or removal of the pin arm 2 from the shield. Ordinarily, asthe pin arm 2 is swung toward the base arm 1,

" it is also laterally rotated or swung so that its pointed end passesalong the outside of the walls of channel 13 until it comes in contactwith the exposed end of the finger 8. Thereupon a release of pressureagainst the 'springiness' or resilience of arm 2 results in its disposi-1 tion in the mouth 10 of shield 3. In accomplishing this,

finger 8 functions as a guiding element. Thereafter the latch 4 is swungto the perpendicular position wherein the stop and horn means co-operateand the upper end of the latch arm blocks the mouth 10 and locks the pin2 in place. When the pin 2 is impaled in cloth, any move ment of the pinrelative the impaled portion of cloth tends to close or press on thelatch, thus precludingaccidental opening of the latch.

The reverse movement of the latching arm 4 will permit ready removal ofthe safety pin point.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A lock for a safety pin of the type having an open U-shaped shield inwhich one shield arm is secured to the base bar of the pin and the otherarm is channeled to receive and retain the pivoted pin arm in the closedposition, comprising: a finger medially located on the secured arm ofsaid U-shaped shield and extending toward the channel of said othershield arm, said secured arm having a stop shoulder laterally disposedat each side of the base of said finger, a bifurcated latch arm havingits legs astraddle and pivotally secured to said finger to swing from anon-latching position aligned with and adjacent said base bar to alatching position substantially perpendicnlar thereto, said latch armbeing of a length to extend into said channel and having a broad endblocking the mouth thereof toretain the pointed pin arm in the channel,and a stop carried by each leg of said latch arm adjacentits pivot, saidstops being shaped to cooperate with the stop shoulders and to preventmovement of the latch arm beyond the perpendicular latching position inits movement from the non-latching position.

in the file "of this patent

